Posted on 06/27/2024 11:12:20 AM PDT by Red Badger
Thunderbird Italien Ford
Ford CEO Jim Farley stopped by The Smoking Tire podcast earlier this month to talk vintage sports car racing, EVs, and driver assistance, so if you’re a fan of events like the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion, you should give it a listen. We also took note of some of Farley’s comments about the new car market—comments specifically about cars rather than SUVs.
“I do not like generic cars and trucks,” said Farley as he railed against “appliance-like vehicles” while defending Ford’s decision to leave the sedan market. It’s a segment that Ford hasn’t completely written off for good, and he noted that there are good reasons to keep them in mind. “The bottom line is sedans are very aero[dynamic]. In a world where batteries are expensive,” Farley noted. “A sedan or a hatch is a great silhouette for aero.”
Farley didn’t commit to any future products, but did say, “If we do one, it’s probably gonna feel, look, and smell a lot different” than current offerings. One vintage nameplate he brought up was Fiesta, mentioning that Ford could make a more premium compact car relevant in the market.
After listening to this comments, we couldn’t help but wonder what such a car would look like, and how it would fit into Ford’s current lineup. With the recent resurrection of both Bronco and Maverick (the latter could have made a nice midsize sedan) there are a few nameplates we’d like to see considered for a possible return to production. Of course, while daydreaming about Ford resurrecting a few, we couldn’t help but pine for a couple other nameplates from Detroit that deserve a comeback.
XR4Ti/Sierra (Brandan Gillogly)
When we spotted this beautifully customized 1987 Sierra built by JH Restorations, we were suddenly nostalgic for an ’80s car that never even happened here. We got the three-door Mercur XR4Ti in the States, but never the smallest Sierra, as Ford didn’t sell the full range of European-market Sierras in the United States. It’s time to fix that. There’s been a bit of a resurgence in ’80s style, so why not bring big wings back with a rally-inspired XR4Ti hot hatch at the top of the lineup? Let’s not let the Hyundai have all the fun.
Galaxie
(Brandan Gillogly)
Ford could lean into the futuristic Galaxie name and build a large, powerful sedan in the vein of the Lucid Air. Let designers go wild as they have with past concepts, like Lincoln’s L100 shown above. This was one of the first vehicles that came to mind when Farley mentioned a sedan with great aerodynamics. Add just a bit of height to the greenhouse, some smaller wheels, and shorten up the wheelbase just a touch and we can already start to see how a production version could look as a Ford.
Thunderbird
Flickr/sv1ambo
Ford has a history of adding a pair of doors to models that previously only had two. We’ll give them the mulligan and pretend the Mach-E was never affiliated with the Mustang name—yes, that dead horse is still taking a beating and it still bothers us. OK, OK, ignoring the Mach-E, the brand also built four-door Thunderbirds, so how about the Thunderbird name applied to a big, luxurious sedan like the more recent Continental Coach? The fifth-generation Thunderbird, available from 1967-1971, also had rear-hinged doors like the massive custom-built Continentals, so it wouldn’t be that big of a departure.
80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental
80th Anniversary Lincoln Continental - Lincoln
Of course, plenty of other companies are redefining their brands and restyling their lineup to reflect modern style and powertrains. How about a couple from GM?
NOMAD
Chevrolet Nomad Concept auto show - General Motors
It’s been 20 years since Chevrolet showed off the compact Nomad concept, based on the same Kappa platform that gave us the curvy Pontiac Solstice and sharp Saturn Sky. We think it’s about time for the storied wagon nameplate to make a comeback, and we like the thought of it returning as a sporty compact. How about a Cadillac CT4-sized two-door wagon to help relieve some of the sting of losing Camaro?
Wildcat
Buick Wildcat concept (GM DESIGN)
The full-size Wildcat was Buick’s answer to the Impala. In the late ’60s especially, it was offered as an elegant muscle coupe that we still feel is underrated. We don’t have to imagine what a modern version would look like, thanks to Buick’s 2022 concept. This one is an EV and brings the personal luxury car into the 21st century. Buick has been without a coupe or sedan of any kind since the Regal ended production in 2020. We’d welcome one back if it looked like this sleek, comfortable fastback coupe.
History has given us plenty of great automotive nameplates over the years, which ones do you think are due for a return at Ford and elsewhere?
K(r)appa......................
I miss the old Avanti.
Hey, now! I drive a Pontiac Solstice. Fun little car and great gas mileage.
I’d love to see an updated Plymouth Barracuda.
One was for sale at a lot down the street from my house last month. 2004 with 18k miles garage kept.
They wanted $20k......................
Me too!...................
CHRYSLER 300 series
IMPERIAL
The Imperial was one of my favorites..............
Click Picture For Video
1958 Cadillac Eldorado Barritz Convertiblez"
Click Picture For Video
Overpriced. Unless it was a pristine show quality GXP.
But they didn’t make them in 2004, so I question the dealer altogether.
It was not the GXP. It was just the standard Solstice, but immaculate.................
10K ... maybe 11k for showroom quality.
I don’t remember the exact year, so it may have been later.................
The sold it within the month............
Maybe they can bring back the Pinto or Edsel.
The story was this car and two others they had, a Camaro and a Corvette, were owned by a local ‘collector’ who died and his heirs just wanted the money so they were on consignment...........
For the 20k?!
A fool and his money ...
1959 was my favorite.........................
Probably another ‘collector’ bought it. It was a pretty car, but I wasn’t going to give them 20k for it. They wouldn’t budge, so no sale..........
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